Once upon a time, before there were GameBoys and Game Gears, DSs and 3DSs, PSPs and Vitas, and long before the smartphone/tablet app boom, single-game LED handhelds sparked the popularity of portable gaming. Ah yes, the Game & Watch days, I remember them well. Donkey Kong and Green House carried me through many car rides as a youngster.
Retro Pocket is a DSiWare/eShop compilation of eight different games designed to emulate classics from the era of Game & Watch and Tiger Electronics. Whether you’re putting out fires and catching falling victims in Fireman, delivering mail while avoiding patrolling guard dogs in Postman, rescuing a friend from the prison cell of a whale’s mouth in Whale Escape, or picking up candies from a series of conveyor belts and placing them into bins in Candy Factory, these games are simple reminders of where modern gaming came from, requiring nothing more than quick taps of the directional buttons to move and maybe the occasional press of another button to deflect a projectile or light a fire that scares away a snake threatening to snatch your basket of collected eggs.
Each game offers ‘Game A’ and ‘Game B’ modes, with the A option serving as an easy difficulty and the B option offering a harder alternative. Whichever option you choose, the games start off easy, but the gameplay speed gradually increases the longer you survive, which means memorizing the layouts and mastering the movement timing is the key to posting a high score worth bragging about.
A few of the games are overly similar, to the point of almost blurring together and cancelling each other out. Candy Factor, Egg Drop and Watch Your Head for example are all slight variations on the mechanic of catching a falling object and placing it into a container. But with eight games to choose from, each with a distinct theme, there’s ample variety to ensure that at least two or three will sink their “just one more game” hooks into you. Personally, Kung Fu Hero and Fuel Drop have done that for me. In the former, you protect a girl by karate chopping thugs and thrown bottles swarming after her from all sides. In the latter, you tap the L and R buttons to rotate oil drums to match the colors of falling drops of fuel. These are a blast, especially once the speed and difficulty ramp up.
Retro Pocket’s single greatest achievement, however, is how well it replicates the presentation of an old LED handheld. The emulation is absolutely spot on, complete with appropriately bleepy-bloopy chip sound effects and the pre-printed ghost images in the background which represent the gameplay animations and serve as a visual map cluing you in on the paths of character movement and falling objects. With the greater might of the DSi/3DS compared to the older technology, you also don’t have to deal with the delayed movement response that always made Game & Watch games more difficult than they actually were. These games run fast, smooth and responsive, without dampening the retro impact. I only wish this were a built-for-3DS game, as it would have been neat to see how the 3D effect worked with the old LED look.
If you grew up in the 80s and have fond Game & Watch memories, you are the primary audience for Retro Pocket. But that doesn’t mean nostalgia alone is the only selling point. Yes, the compiled games are very straightforward, perhaps too much so for the modern gaming hipster, but they’re also incredibly fun in a quick pick up and play style that often leads to compulsive high score inner turmoil. For only $5 (less than a dollar per game!), Retro Pocket deserves a dedicated spot on your DSi or 3DS.
Pros:
+ Perfectly emulates retro Game & Watch presentation
+ Old school pick up and play high score gaming
+ Great value at under $1 per game
Cons:
– A few of the games repeat the same gameplay mechanic
Game Info:
Platform: Nintendo DSi and 3DS via DSiWare/eShop
Publisher: UFO Interactive
Developer: UFO Interactive
Release Date: 9/20/2012
Genre: Arcade
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1
Source: Review code provided by publisher
If you own a recently manufactured Nintendo portable gaming device (i.e. a DSi or 3DS) and enjoy word/number/picture puzzles, like crosswords, wordsearches, Sudoku, hangman, and spot the difference, there are two new titles to vie for your gaming dollar. Both come from the same Puzzler World brand and the same developer, Ideas Pad, but have different publishers and are available through different channels.
What’s the difference between the two? And which one is the best buy for you? Well, read along, and hopefully I can answer those questions.
From Ubisoft, there’s Puzzler World 2012 3D, a Nintendo 3DS exclusive retail edition, offering more than 1,200 unique puzzles for $19.99. (I think there may be a non-3D DS version as well, but only in Europe from what I can tell.) Then there is Puzzler World XL, a budget-priced DSiWare version available for DSi and 3DS, which stuffs more than 1,800 puzzles into a $4.99 digital download package.
By the numbers, Puzzler World XL clearly has the edge. Obviously the value is stronger when you’re getting hundreds of extra puzzles at a fraction of the price, in addition to multi-platform availability and the convenience of digital download. Looking deeper than sheer quantity, however, reveals that for 3DS owners there is legitimate reason to pay the higher price tag for the retail version.
Puzzler World XL has a lot more puzzles sure, but the discrepancy in volume is only there because the game provides a bonus allotment of nearly 600 wordsearch puzzles. When you remove those bonus puzzles, Puzzler World 2012’s puzzle collection is the same size, plus it offers 10 additional puzzle types not found in XL. Puzzles like crosswords, Sudoku, Link-a-Pix, Silhouette, wordsearch, jigsaw picture sliders, hangman and chain letters are shared between the two, but in Puzzler World 2012 you also get spot-the-difference puzzles, spiral crosswords, Pathfinder (wordsearch variant in which you link the words together in a single continuous line), Mix-Up (crosswords with anagrams for clues), and number puzzles like Takegaki and Suko.
To be fair, XL also has a couple exclusive puzzle types, including Picture Quiz, which has you studying a picture and then answering a series of questions from memory, and Hide & Seek, another picture challenge in which you search for certain shapes hidden within an image. But by comparison, Puzzler World 2012 still scores a decisive edge in puzzle variety.
Beyond the varying amount and types of puzzles, the two games are pretty much identical, save for minor alterations in presentation. Both share the same general stylus-based interface and menu structure, along with other features, including a virtual trophy shelf for showcasing in-game achievements you’ve earned and a currency system of hint tokens that allows you to buy hints/cheats to help you clear puzzles that may be posing a mental stumbling block. The only difference is in how you acquire these tokens. In XL, once you’ve completed a puzzle and the subsequently unlocked bonus puzzle, you get to spin a prize wheel to determine how many tokens you’ll bank. Puzzler World 2012 carries on the ‘Price is Right’ game show vibe, but does so with a Plinko-like mini-game in which a ball is launched into a pegged board with holes of different token amounts waiting to catch it at the bottom.
The only other difference is how XL requires the DSi/3DS to be held in vertical book orientation, while Puzzler World 2012 plays with the 3DS held in its normal position. Puzzler World 2012 is also a tad brighter and more vibrant in terms of picture quality, but despite the ‘3D’ tacked onto the end of the title, having the 3D slider on adds absolutely nothing to such graphically simplistic puzzles.
My favorite feature in both titles is the handwriting training option. The handwriting recognition can be sketchy with certain letters and numbers (for me 7 and 4 tend to get mixed up, as do P, R, K and D), but to help with this you can actually train the game to recognize your personal handwriting style. With the training menu open, you can select any letter or number you want, and then after writing in that letter/number five times the system saves it for more accurate recognition. The recognition still isn’t always perfect, but it’s far better than other crossword puzzle games I’ve played on the DS family of portables over the years.
If you enjoy the type of puzzles that have traditionally been printed in newspapers, magazines and activity books and normally require a real pen or pencil over a stylus, you really can’t go wrong with either of these games. They are both great for daily brain exercise, and they are indispensable gaming companions to have on hand for road trips or plane rides. But to return to the original question: which one is right for you? Well, if you want cheap and convenient with a beefier supply of wordsearches and other basic puzzle types, go with Puzzler World XL. However, if you want a broader diversity of puzzles to choose from and don’t mind paying a retail premium, I think you’ll be happier with Puzzler World 2012 3D.
Pros:
+ Over 1,000 puzzles is a lot, whichever version you choose
+ Handwriting trainer helps clear up most text entry mistakes
+ Puzzler World 2012 3D offers tremendous puzzle variety
+ Puzzler World XL is much cheaper and has hundreds of extra wordsearches
Cons:
– Text entry isn’t always accurate
– Puzzler World 2012 3D has fewer puzzles and is more expensive
– Puzzler World XL has less overall variety
Puzzler World XL Game Info:
Platform: Nintendo DSi and 3DS via DSiWare/eShop
Publisher: UFO Interactive
Developer: Ideas Pad
Release Date: 10/18/2012
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1
Source: Review code provided by publisher
Puzzler World 2012 3D Game Info:
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ideas Pad
Release Date: 9/25/2012
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
I know I already mentioned it earlier, but here’s another reminder: the DS port of Plants vs. Zombies is into stores today.
For $19.95, the DS version comes packin’ the full content suite of the PC version, including the Adventure, Survival and Puzzle modes, plus a local multiplayer Versus mode, four exclusive mini-games and 14 achievements. Those mini-games and achievements are as follows:
Four All-New and Exclusive Mini-Games
· Air Raid: As a pilot flying repeater, players have to dodge, weave and shoot their way to victory in this side-scrolling shooter-style mini-game.
· Home Run Derby: In a wacky marriage of zombies and baseball, players hit home runs to score sun. But they’ll have to watch out for the oncoming, sporty hordes of some all-new zombies.
· Heat Wave: It’s a real scorcher! Players have only a few plants and they tire out quickly. Swap them around with the stylus and cheer them up with the microphone!
· BOMB All Together: Players will blast zombies into the hereafter, but they’ll have to use their plants wisely; there’s a limited supply.
14 New Achievements
* Resolute Homeowner – Complete Adventure Mode
* Attention Deficit – Earn a trophy in each mini-game
* Think Hard – Earn a trophy in each puzzle mode
* Tough Beans – Earn a trophy in each survival mode
* Shopping Spree – Spend $25000 in Crazy Dave’s store
* Book Learner – Fill out the Almanac
* Greenhouser – Raise 10 plants to full growth in the Zen Garden
* Cerebral Canopy – Grow the tree of wisdom to 100 ft.
* Demolitioneer – Blow up 10 zombies at once with a single cherry bomb
* Photosensitive – Beat a night level without picking up any sun
* Don’t Drink the Water – Beat a pool level without using any aquatic plants
* Nebulaphile – Beat an extremely foggy level without disturbing any fog
* Unsiege Mentality – Complete a roof level without using any catapult plants
* Street Team – Play Download-Play at least once
What’s more, PopCap has now revealed that a smaller-sized DSiWare version of the game is also in the works and will be releasing “in the next several weeks.” This downloadable version will contain only the Adventure mode and the four new mini-games, in addition to an exclusive new mini-game of its own called Zombie Trap. No indication yet as to how much it’ll cost in Nintendo Points.
]]>“Plants vs. Zombies is already a fan favorite on PC, iPhone, iPad, and Xbox, and with this latest incarnation, we’re bringing something special to DS enthusiasts that’ll keep players equally enthralled,” said Ed Allard, head of worldwide studios at PopCap. “Four modes of dual-screen play, multiplayer action, four all-new mini-games, and 14 achievements offer a great combination of original gameplay and unique features that makes the backyard battle for brains fresh and fun.”
After losing an entire evening – again – playing what I planned as an hour of Tetris Party Live online, I started thinking about my review and realized that there isn’t much to say.
Tetris Party Live is at its core just yet another Tetris game. And it is a good Tetris game, with solid controls and two excellent gameplay modes. It is a cut-down DSiWare version of the full Tetris Party Deluxe game (Matt’s review is here), and at 500 points it is a bargain.
Technically … well, it is Tetris! But the graphics were given some flair, with varied backgrounds that pop and provide some variety to the proceedings. That is a nice touch as you are constantly watching falling blocks on a static background. Also, there is a wide array of music that plays throughout – much more than I had expected from a quick-downloading DSiWare game.
Marathon Mode is traditional Tetris – you keep on stacking blocks, seeing how fast you can get past 150 lines. The D-pad controls are perfectly implemented and everything feels familiar from every other Tetris game. You can also enable ‘endless mode’ and just try to stay alive as long as possible.
Party Mode is multiplayer. You play via WiFi connection, and can connect via friend codes or into games around the world. Up to four players can compete in Battle Mode, working on the bottom screen and watching the progress of others on top. The other mode is Duel Space, in which the two players try to take up as much space as possible. Each mode is fun, and a time-limit on the lobby means that the wait time is never very long. It would have been nice to allow local multiplayer or download play, but at the price it is understandable that these features were left out.
DSiWare can be a mixed bag, as the games are typically cut-down versions of larger games that offer a wide variety of value. But in this case it is just perfect: Tetris Party Live is right-sized DSiWare offering all of the core gameplay of single player Tetris in two modes, as well as options for two and four player online matches! Great game, great price.
Pros:
+ All the goodness of Tetris
+ Great graphics, simple controls
+ Nice price
Cons:
– No local multiplayer or download play
Game Info:
Platform: DS via DSiWare
Publisher: Tetris Online
Developer: Hudson Soft
Release Date: 11/22/2010
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1-4
Source: 500 DSiWare Points provided by publisher to purchase and review the game
[nggallery id=1506]
]]>
Paradox Interactive’s popular fantasy kingdom building strategy game for PC is coming to the Nintendo DSi this fall.
Loosely based on the PC version of Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, Majesty 2: Pocket Kingdom is being developed by KranX Productions as a downloadable DSiWare RTS title with a completely new 12-mission campaign and stylus-controlled spell casting. This is what it looks like:
In today’s press release, Paradox also vaguely name drops a few other in-development Majesty titles, including Majesty HD (not sure what the platform is), Majesty iPad and two new expansion packs for the PC version of Majesty 2 titled Battles of Ardania and Monster Kingdom. I guess it’s a good time to be a Majesty fan, huh?
]]>
Two of Nintendo’s Wii summer blockbusters have been delayed today. Most notable is that of Metroid: Other M, which has been pushed all the way back to August 31 from June 27 — that’s over two months! Moving up to take over Other M‘s old date, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor will now ship on June 27, a three-week slide from its original June 7 launch date. Fortunately, Super Mario Galaxy 2 still appears to be on track for May 23.
Nintendo has also released an updated lineup of WiiWare and DSiWare titles expected to be released between May and June. Hit the jump for that list.
* Photo Dojo (Nintendo DSiWare, May 10): Get ready for some seriously fun Kung Fu action – starring you! Create your own characters and record the sound effects using the Nintendo DSi system’s camera and microphone. Use your imagination to set the stage for a fun-filled fight to the finish. In a special introductory offer, Photo Dojo will be available for free download via the Nintendo DSi Shop from May 10 to June 10. Starting June 11, the game will be available for download for 200 Nintendo DSi Points.
* Earthworm Jim (Nintendo DSiWare, Gameloft, May 10): The classic action platformer is back with a never-before-seen feature, exclusively on the Nintendo DSi system. Run, gun, swing from hooks with your head, launch cows, bungee jump, rocket through speed levels and more, in crazy universes that offer huge game-play possibilities. Earn bonuses with facial expression-based challenges that track your face using the Nintendo DSi camera. Put on a smile, frown or make a variety of other faces to mimic Jim.
* BIT.TRIP RUNNER (WiiWare, Aksys Games, May 17): Marking the first character-based adventure for CaptainVideo, the newest installment in the BIT.TRIP series features rhythm-based action platforming, more than 50 challenges to complete and a pounding chiptune-inspired soundtrack.
* Looksley’s Line Up
(Nintendo DSiWare, May 17): In this unique take on hidden picture games, Looksley the rabbit needs your help to find inspiring objects so he can finish the story he’s writing. The objects are hidden in 3-D dioramas made up of cutout layers that shift as you move the Nintendo DSi system. Unique Nintendo DSi camera-based controls let you peer deep into the game’s scenes and hunt for hidden objects just by moving the Nintendo DSi.
* Frogger Returns (Nintendo DSiWare, Konami, May 17): Frogger Returns takes the challenge of the arcade classic Frogger and brings it to the Nintendo DSiWare service for the first time. Classic top-down 2-D game-play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups to dodge and grab.
* Metal Torrent (Nintendo DSiWare, May 24): Compete with players around the world for the highest score in this new action game inspired by classic arcade shoot-’em-ups. Convert enemy bullets into score-generating cubes. Continuously absorb cubes to create score-accelerating combos. Download replay videos from top players via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, or if you make the top five scores, upload your own video.
* X-Scape (Nintendo DSiWare, May 31): Take on an epic space adventure in X-Scape. As captain of the VIXIV, a highly advanced space tank, you’ll roam the surface of dozens of alien worlds, battling the forces of an empire that is out to destroy you. The touch screen makes controlling your vehicle a snap, and your helpful robot companion is there every step of the way to help you with advice and weapon upgrades.
* Hero of Sparta (Nintendo DSiWare, Gameloft, May 31): Battle like the fierce Spartan warrior you are to avoid a tragic death as you journey through mythical lands and even probe the depths of the Underworld. You will fight the most phenomenal monsters from mythology, defy Minotaurs and the Cyclops, and challenge the gods themselves!
* Flametail (Nintendo DSiWare, June 7): Clean up the space lanes of floating garbage with the starship Flametail. As you wind your way through the mind-bending obstacle course, your flaming tail will ignite the piles of rubbish to eliminate them. But be careful to not get caught in a dead end, or let the barrier that’s following you reach your tail. This puzzle action game is easy for anyone to pick up and play.
* A Kappa’s Trail (Nintendo DSiWare, June 14): Guide a little mythical river spirit to the human world with your Nintendo DSi stylus in this puzzle adventure. Draw a trail, and the little “kappa” will follow. It’s up to you to ensure he makes it through the gauntlet of enemies and treacherous paths of the Kappa Trail.
]]>
If you currently own a DSi, have purchased a lot of DSiWare apps and are thinking about upgrading to the husky new DSi XL, you may want to think twice. Numerous sites have confirmed (or reconfirmed, I should say) that all previously purchased DSiWare content is “tethered” to the original system it was downloaded on and can never be transferred to another system. That means if you decide to change systems or your DSi dies and you have to buy a new one, you’ll have to re-buy all your software too.
Wha? How incredibly lame is that!?
OK, so this isn’t exactly a secret since Nintendo apparently already confirmed this method of DRM last year. But, to my knowledge, it’s not something that’s been heavily reported and therefore you may not have heard about it before (maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but I didn’t know about this until now myself). So in light of the DSi XL’s launch on Sunday, this limitation has bubbled up as one of many reasons the device has been widely deemed undesirable, at least for anyone who already owns a DS or DSi.
Knowing this now, I’m glad I stuck with my DS Lite and resisted the urge to upgrade to the DSi. I would never buy DSiWare content with this DRM system in place, because DRM like this takes away personal ownership of purchased software. On other platforms, digitally downloaded content is tied to the user, not the system. That way if you ever upgrade to a newer model or replace a broken system, all previously purchased content can be easily re-downloaded at no additional cost. Why Nintendo decided to take a different approach with DSiWare is beyond me. I just know that I don’t like it.
Any DSi owners out there? Had you heard about this DSiWare DRM before? What do you think about all this?
No DSiWare transfers to DSi XL [GameSpot]
]]>
Black Friday shoppers take note, Nintendo will be offering two limited-run DSi bundles at participating retailers this Friday, November 27. While supplies last, you’ll be able to buy your choice of two DSi’s pre-loaded with five themed DSiWare titles for $170, including a “Mario Collection” bundle containing a Metallic Blue DSi and games like Dr. Mario Express and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again and a “Brain Age Collection” bundle containing a White DSi and a collection of brain teaser games. I think it’s safe to say the “Mario Collection” will be the first to sell out…
Hit the jump for all the specifics.
Metallic Blue DSi “Mario Collection” Bundle:
: Minis March Again: Can Mario and his Mini Marios rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong’s clutches yet again? Express: Mario once again dons his stethoscope to battle the forces of illness in this downloadable version of the classic puzzle game.: Snapped!: Wario returns with more manic action made especially for the Nintendo DSi system. WarioWare: Snapped! uses the built-in Nintendo DSi Camera to make players the star of the show by placing them right into fast-paced mini-games. Calculator: Mario and Luigi take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Clock: Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like.White DSi “Brain Age Collection” Bundle:
Express: Arts & Letters: Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary classics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player. Express: Sudoku: Solve a variety of puzzles at three different skill levels using the touch screen and an intuitive interface. Express: Math: Players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar exercises, including Change Maker, Triangle Math, Sum Totaled and Multi Tasker. Express: Card Classics: Play familiar favorites like Blackjack and Five Card Draw, or test your ability in the fast-paced Last Card, Last Card Plus and President.And remember, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! goes live on Monday. So you only have a few days to scrounge up the 800 DSi Points needed to buy it.
]]>